Salisbury, N.C.----Senior Brittany Murray (Asheboro, N.C.) pitched Catawba to a sweep of visiting Wingate in a South Atlantic Conference softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Whitley Field.  Murray threw a one-hitter in the 1-0 opening game victory, while she benefitted from a huge sixth inning as the Indians took game two 8-1. Catawba improves to 30-15 overall and 10-5 in the SAC, while the Wingate Bulldogs fall to 25-21 and 7-9.
 
Murray was masterful in the opener, allowing only two base runners on the day and retiring the final 15 she faced in posting the shutout. Murray allowed a double to Wingate freshman Alexis Burrell (Chesapeake, Va.) to start the game. She hit Bulldog freshman Brittany Owens (Greenville, N.C.) to open the third. Murray fanned six.
 
Catawba got its lone run in the fourth. Tara Gibbs (Waynesville, N.C.) gave the Indians their first hit with a two-out double and Kelsey Burgess (Charlotte, N.C.) followed with a double down the left field line to plate Gibbs. 
 
Wingate freshman Miranda Paul (Virginia Beach, Va.) surrendered only four hits in taking the loss. She walked one and struck out four. Mollie Kovalcin (Latrobe, Pa.) and Sydney Hyder (Asheboro, N.C.) had the other two Catawba hits.
 
In game two, the visiting Bulldogs got out in front with a two-out RBI single from sophomore Jordyn Setzer (Talyorsville, N.C.). The Indians answered, scoring as they did all day with two outs. A single by Alli Justice (Bishopville, Md.) was followed by a RBI double from Gibbs to knot the game at 1-1.
 
Both teams stranded runners until Catawba broke the game open in the sixth, again with two outs. Wingate made an error with one out. With two outs, the Indians collected eight straight hits to plate seven runs. Lauren Lewis (Concord, N.C.) singled home the go-ahead run and Amanda Terry (Cordova, N.C.) singled home another. 
 
Justice added a two-run double and Gibbs a three-run homer for the 8-1 lead. Catawba added two more hits before Emily D. Huneycutt (Oakboro, N.C.) ended the frame on a lineout to short. Justice had two hits and two RBI for Catawba in game two, while Gibbs had two hits and four RBI. 
 
Murray allowed eight hits in the game two win, but only the single run. She walked three and fanned one to up her record to 14-9 overall. Paul took her second loss of the day for Wingate. She dropped to 21-19, although only seven of the eight game two runs were unearned.
 
Junior Brittany Loudermilt (Stony Point, N.C.) and senior Joya Wortham (Creedmoor, N.C.) each had two hits for the Bulldogs. Wingate hits the road again Saturday, venturing to Mars Hill College for a 1 p.m. SAC twin bill.

(Thank you to Catawba SID Jim Lewis for providing this story.)